Bleeding Hearts
by PercabethRox2435
Summary: Everyone is talking about the fall's new musical drama, 'Bleeding Hearts', starring Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, two famous actors. As the movie production begins, these two polar opposite celebrities realise how similar they are and love blossoms. Rated M, for mentions of sex.
1. Chapter 1

_**BLEEDING HEARTS**_

'_Love is a journey,_

_Beginning at forever,_

_And ending at never'_

_Prologue_

It's found in every newspaper across the city. In every magazine, bus, billboard. Everybody eagerly awaits the release of the fall's most awaited musical drama called 'Bleeding Hearts', featuring Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, two mega famous celebrities known for they talent in acting.

Never has there been a movie featuring the two of them together, and maybe that's the reason everyone is waiting for the release of the movie.

Annabeth Chase, daughter of famous actress Athena Minerva Chase, and producer Fredrick Chase, had her debut at the age of seven, and since then has been moving up the ladder to fame and success. She is the type of actress who acts gracefully and meticulously, but needs to think about how she's going to act. Feeling and acting aren't in her forte. But that did not stop her from being who she is today. She acts as Liza Rose in the upcoming film.

Where you have the intelligent blonde Annabeth, you have a polar opposite brunette actor Percy Jackson, who feels how the part has to be, and lets it show in his acting. Son of the famous executive producer Poseidon Jackson, Perseus 'Percy' Jackson doesn't let his dad's fame get in the way of being who he wishes to be. He had his debut at the age of eleven and quickly rose to fame. Even after his father's death when he was sixteen (some freak car incident), Percy never let the grief affect his work. His work helped his mother become the aspiring writer that she is today. He plays Ryan Evans in the film.

When two famous, yet broken, people meet to act in a romantic drama, I think it's obvious that love will blossom. Let's see how it all began.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

After receiving the news that you got the part that you've been hoping for, you'd expect Annabeth to be ecstatic, right? Wrong.

Annabeth took the news like how she takes her alcohol. Calmly and gracefully, like she'd known all along that she would get the part. Why wouldn't she. All her life she grew up getting what she wanted. Her parents being busy celebrities, and divorced, neglected her. In response to this, they were never there to stop her and tell her that it was wrong to demand for things or expect everything to be provided on a silver platter. She grew up being haughty yet graceful, just like her mother, with her nose turned up. What else would you expect from the daughter of Oscar winning Athena Minerva Chase.

So, the news that she got the part that many actresses were dying for, not a big thing for Annabeth.

She got up, the morning of the meetup for the movie, and dressed fashionably, yet simply. Her _only_ friend, Piper McLean, daughter of Tristen McLean, famous movie actor, got the role of supporting actress in the film. She was playing Ella Mackenzie, Liza's best friend. She called Annabeth, squealing about how they got roles in a film together and "how amazing is that Annabeth? I can't wait!"

Don't get Annabeth wrong, she knows she's lucky to get a friend like Piper, but did she really have to burst her eardrums like that?

She quickly agreed with Piper, and ended the calls with promises of sitting with her and going out to celebrate their roles.

Now obviously being a famous actress meant living a life of luxury, but one thing that Annabeth is grateful of is how her mother, after she started on her ladder to success, never once let Annabeth get comfortable with her luxury. She does stay in a condo, eating lavish healthy meals daily, but small things, like driving to work by herself, those were made compulsory by Athena (who coincidentally is also the blonde's assistant and manager).

On reaching the office where they were going to discuss the roles and have a brief introduction of the movie, Annabeth smiled gracefully at all the staff she was going to meet. She remembered her mother's lessons ("all the staff you meet help to make a movie amazing, so never forget to thank them and greet them each day. It only boosts your image"). When she entered the floor, she winced.

Standing stylishly near the wall, with his phone in one hand and Starbucks in the other, was Perseus 'Percy' Jackson. To say that Annabeth despised him, was an understatement. He debuted in a film, and won best actor award, and that year was the worst for Annabeth. She was literally forgotten that year. Of course, that didn't affect her offers or her reputation, but it did make things harder for her. For instance, she had to work a little harder to get certain roles. Working hard for an actress never meant anything nice. Being sexually harassed in her work place was a fact her mother never mentioned, but that didn't surprise her the least. Who would tell their fifteen-year-old daughter that being seeing hungrily was going to be a thing each day? Then, how would you expect a daughter to mention this to their mother, especially if they had a rocky beginning?

Anyways, despite all that, she still managed to do well and come to the place she is today. Now if anybody tried anything with her, she was defended, not met with a laugh. But that didn't make her view the raven-haired actor any better. She absolutely hated his guts, and still does.

Being famous lead them to getting a lot of roles together, but never in the same level. Either one of them got supporting roles (while the other laughed or smirked), or they had small roles with each other. However, for the first time, they both were starring in this film. To make matters worse, Athena hated Poseidon, Percy's father, a fact that Athena engraved in her daughter's mind.

So, seeing him like that, so calm and collected, made Annabeth's skin crawl.

But she refused to let him make her loose her cool. So, with her head turned up, she entered the room, hugged her friend and sat down. To her relief, Percy sat on the other end of the table. A little while later, Zeus Jupiter (the director) entered, and the meeting began.

After a brief introduction and congratulations, he began telling them what to expect in the movie.

"As you all know, this is supposed to be the most awaited film of the year, so I expect a hundred and ten percent from all of you. Can we all agree on that?" A few murmurs of agreement were heard, and Zeus continued. "This is a film set in California. We will travel there in a week. It's about a young girl Liza Rose, played by Annabeth here", he pointed at Annabeth and she waved. "She is a scholar and studies in a school called Goode High. She is best friends with Ella Mackenzie, played by Piper Mclean. She is forced to tutor Ryan Evans, drug addict and juvenile delinquent, played by Percy Jackson here", Percy then smiled and nodded. "His best friend, Harris Worthington, played by Jason Grace, my son, is attracted to Ella, and through that, both Ryan and Liza meet and fall in love. Over the course of their relationship, they get into trouble and have to face some life-threatening hardships. Since they both are good at singing, they decide to try their luck at a singing competition in their school. Is the plot understood?" Everyone murmured a yes or nodded their heads. Zeus himself nodded, and dismissed them, after telling them the details of the flight and how they would receive a message about the tickets.

Before leaving, Annabeth was surprised when Percy wished her luck, but immediately regretted it after he smirked and said that she would be needing it. It was going to be a rough year of shooting.

_OoooO_

Once she reached California, Annabeth regretted two things. One, that her mother came with her to the area where her dad would be, and two, that her dad was producing this film. She was thankfully staying in a hotel with her mom, but she still winced each time she thought about her parents meeting each other.

But apart from that, she was satisfied. The school in the movie was a twenty-minute ride from the hotel. The hotel and school, both were impressive. Shooting was beginning today, so Annabeth woke up early, as she usually did for all her shootings. With a light breakfast, she went to the site of shooting.

Todays role was going to be about Liza's life at home and school. She was pretty impressed at how personal Zeus made the roles. She was playing a nerd, who stayed with her divorced parents, in California of all places. She was quiet and kind of an introvert, happy with the simple pleasures of life. Initially she was bullied, but in high school, she kind of disappeared in the mass of students. She wore glasses in the movie, something Annabeth was excited about. She loved trying on different frames and seeing how they look on her. Today's shooting would depict only Liza's life, so Percy wouldn't be called until the afternoon, when they would show the two of them in the same class. Tomorrow would be Percy's role, and Annabeth got a break, something she was grateful for. The less time with the jackass, the better.

She entered the set, wished everyone, and got down to business. She had a week to memorize her lines, which was enough time for her. After her makeup was applied, and she was briefed on the set, the shooting began.

As it usually happened, once the camera began rolling, Annabeth gracefully analyzed her role and ensured she acted perfectly as was expected. This helped to minimize mistakes. Thankfully there were no bloopers for this movie. She hated those.

By afternoon, she had developed a light sweat, but was happy with how she performed.

That was also approximately when her mood went sour, when a certain 'Jackson' entered.

Percy was his normal calm and collected self. His sea green eyes shone mischievously, his lips in a permanent smirk, which infuriated Annabeth to no end. He made a bee line to his make up room, greeting all the staff along the way with a simple, yet charming smile. A few female assistants giggled and cooed. Despite the fact that he annoyed her, Annabeth couldn't help but admire his physique. His well-toned body and attractive face made him a constant on Vogue's front page. But somehow, despite his looks, Annabeth managed to understand the dull look in his eyes. For some reason, that made her want to get to know him better (and that terrified her). She knew pretty well what happens when you get too close to someone. Betrayal does ugly things to you.

In their shared scene, both of them sat on opposite ends of the classroom, Annabeth in the front where everyone could see her, and Percy in the back, well hidden among the students. Piper sat next to Annabeth; Jason next to Percy. As soon as the camera-man screamed 'action', Annabeth went into her character-mode.

_Scene _

_In the classroom, the teacher calls out the student's names for attendance. She seems bored, calling out the names in a loud drawl. _

"_Liza Rose?"_

"_Here Miss", Liza raises her hand straight with a smile. Being every teacher's favourite, Miss Amanda can't help but smile at the girl. As the roll call continues, the teacher sighs until a frown appears on her face at the mention of one name. _

"_Ryan Evans?"_

_A raven-haired boy raises his scarred hands and smirks while answering. "Here Miss", he responds._

"Cut!" The camera stops rolling. Zeus smiles, evidently pleased by how the scene went. The rest of the shoot goes in a blur, and before she knows it, Annabeth is out of her uniform, and in her slacks on her way back.

Despite how well the scene went, Annabeth couldn't help but wonder why the scars on Percy's hand felt so natural on his skin?

Needless to say, the answer scared her.

**Hey guys, I hoped you liked the chapter. Just a few things I wanted to straighten out though. One, I don't own Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus or any of the books. Second, I will be summarizing the plot as we go on in the story, so you understand what each scene contains. For some chapters, I might not though, because it might not require it. Next, I don't own any of the songs in the story. I will mention who sung what song, so you can check it out incase you haven't heard it. Finally, I might not update regularly, and that's mainly because I'm a medical student, and I rarely get time to write. I'll try my level best to keep up. Also, I live in India, so if I get some of the places wrong, or the way classes go in America, I apologize, but I really don't have a clue. I'm going on the basis of what I've read in some other fanfictions. **

**Please check out some of my other stories as well. **

**Hope you enjoy this one too. **

**-PercabethRox2435**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

Percy Jackson's life, to say in the least, wasn't as smooth as it appeared. At age sixteen, he was introduced to the concept of death, when his dad died. Despite what people say, Percy really loved his dad. After all, it was his dad who introduced him to the world of acting. Being a producer, his dad was easily able to recognize the talent in his son. It initially began with Percy dramatizing small things, such as, asking for a cookie, or getting out of doing chores. At the age of seven, Percy was asked to take part in his school dramas as the lead. His teachers would praise his acting to his parents, after which Poseidon decided to introduce his son to his world.

Percy was introduced to the world of fame when he went with his dad to his first red carpet event (coincidently for the Oscars). He saw women in frilly long dresses, and men in bowties and suits. It would be understatement to say that Percy enjoyed the event. So, at the tiny age of ten, Percy decided that acting would be his career.

He began by taking the drama classes in his school a bit more seriously. He sure was bullied and made fun of, but if anyone asked him (which they didn't), he would tell them that it was his destiny.

His first call came when he was eleven, but he rejected it, too nervous to accept. But after a bit more coxing from his dad and mom, he accepted the offer, and he sure is grateful to them for that, because it was the best experience of his life. Needless to say, that film was a huge hit. After that, it was an easy journey for him. By sixteen, he was offered films with the capacity to win the Oscars. But then came the hard part. It was around that time, when Poseidon met with a fatal accident.

It hit Percy too hard. His dad, one of the people he looked up too and admired, died. It affected his films, but not too much, because everybody in the film industry knew how close Percy was to his dad. But that was still fine.

What gave Percy a hard time, was his mother marrying a grade A _asshole_, and not giving up on him. Gabe Ulligano, Percy's step dad, made living in general, hard. He was some famous actor, once upon a time, and acted super nice and polite to his mom, offering his assistance in their time of grief. He sent flowers to his mom, and talked nicely to Percy too. No one really knew what a jerk he was inside. Once his mom and Gabe married, it appeared that Gabe thought he could put down the act and started treating his mom and him rudely. It began with ordering them around, then went on to cursing them, and finally, when his mother shouted at Gabe to stop, hit his mother in front of him. Percy tried to call the police, but Gabe was friends with one of the police officers. So, they had no option, but to do his bidding quietly.

But it became clear to Percy, that he wasn't going to stop hurting his mother, so he defended her. Initially, he felt proud of himself for defending his mother, but after a while, Gabe's insults started to get to him, and it hurt. It hurt when Gabe told him he would never be worthy of his father, hurt when he told him that all the effort his dad put in him was for nothing, he was _nothing_. It became hard to cover the scars too. Gabe threatened to really hurt his mother if anyone came to know about them, so Percy would lie through his teeth and smile. Thankfully no one questioned his scars, or asked why the spark in his eyes died.

His relief came when one of the directors, Paul Blowfis, asked Percy to star in a film. He first got to know Percy, and then one day, when his mom came to see his shoot, became close to her. He asked her for her opinions in small roles, considering how she wanted to take writing as a career option. Then, when he asked her out, Sally spilled the beans on Gabe, and that was the best day of Percy's life.

Paul called his friend from the CBI, got Gabe and his officer friend arrested, and got Percy to see a therapist. After a few sessions, Percy got his spark back, and his acting improved. That year, he won Oscar for best actor, much to Annabeth's chagrin. Few years after that, Paul married his mother, and Percy became much more comfortable with his acting and letting his mother be with another man. Sally too got a chance to become a writer, mainly writing scripts for Paul's movies.

Now, about Annabeth. Truth be told, he actually had a crush on his grey-eyed co-star. Who could blame him? She was stunning when she first starting acting. Her parts meticulous and spot on. Only issue, his dad hated Athena, a feud that ran for years on end. When he had to play a small role beside her during his initial days, she acted so snooty around him, that he decided then and there, that despite his crush on her, he wouldn't like a girl so full of attitude and pride.

Since then, he would always try to make her life a living hell, trying to prove that he wasn't someone who would take her shit lightly.

Now, in this film, he had to act besides her, and he was going to show her that he wasn't going to let her have all of the lime-light.

_OoooO_

Today's shot was mainly revolving around Ryan's life. So, it was important that he make it to the set on time.

After changing into a comfortable pair of jeans and a slim fit shirt, and eating a batch of his mom's delicious pancakes (Paul booked them a condo for the three of them to stay, as he and his mom were busy in another shoot in California), he drove to the set.

On arriving, he saw his best friend Jason, getting ready for their shoot together. Since today focused more on Ryan's life, Annabeth wouldn't be coming till the afternoon. To Percy, he felt that that was a blessing. Less time with Ms. Bitchy.

So, after putting on makeup, his role began.

The role involved him doing basic stuff such as waking up late, rushing down to grab breakfast and driving to school after he picked up Jason, who was acting as his best friend. Luckily enough, this was how he was in high school, so it was pretty easy.

The rest of the morning shoot was easy to. They just showed parts of Ryan's life in school, him getting bullied and getting low grades. Jason trying to help him, but getting beat up too, both making promises to stop by their usual dealing spot to grab a few packets, and so on.

When the afternoon shoot began, it became a little harder. This was the shoot where his teacher, Mrs. Amanda, told him that he needed a tutor if he wanted to at least get into community college. This would be where both Annabeth and Percy would be getting to know each other better.

_Scene_

_Ryan stands next to his teacher, who grades papers. She looks so into her job, that Ryan almost snorts. Seriously, his expression seems to say, she's interested in grading a bunch of dumb papers. _

_At that moment, a blonde-haired girl enters. _

"_Mrs. Amanda, you called?"_

_His teacher looks up and smiles at her favourite student. "Yes Liza. As you must've heard, I need you to tutor a student. You asked what you could do to get more credit, and after careful evaluation, I asked Principal Matthew, to let you get extra credit by tutoring a bunch of students. You get explicable marks, so if you could begin by tutoring Ryan here, it would be well appreciated."_

_Liza looks at him with haughty eyes, studying him. She then looks at Mrs. Amanda, "How much credit would I be getting?"_

"_Tenth percentile of the total grade."_

_Liza gasps. "Deal", she says a little too quickly._

_As soon as the teacher dismisses both of them, Liza looks at Ryan and remarks, "You better not take this lightly Ryan. I'll check my schedule and tell you the days when I'm free. Based on that, we'll decide on the days to meet."_

_Ryan rubs the back of his neck, "Sure Liza. Whatever suits you. Just know, I'm available apart from the tutoring, incase you're interested for some other kind of studying." He adds a wink for extra measure. _

_Liza gasps in disgust, strutting off while muttering under her breath about what a pig he is._

"Cut!", Zeus shouts. "Good job you two. I really felt it in the last part. Everyone is dismissed for the day. Good job!"

_OoooO_

Once he changed, Percy left the changing room and almost bumped into Annabeth.

"Woah there Wisegirl. Don't want to lose anymore brain cells as it is, do we?"

Annabeth smirked, "Speak for yourself Seaweed brain."

With that, she strutted away, similar to in the movie. Despite their constant teasing and smirks, Percy felt way too comfortable around Annabeth, as compared to any other of his female co-star. He didn't want to think too much into that. Getting too close to someone would only end badly.

_He should know. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

Annabeth didn't appreciate the way she was being more and more open with Percy. She got scared of how much she wanted to trust this man. This shoot was definitely not going her way, and she couldn't blame anyone.

So far, they completed the scenes where Ryan and Liza got closer through their tutoring sessions. Zeus definitely did some amount of research, because the hobbies that their characters and they shared were so suited for them, it made Annabeth shiver a little. She felt like she was Liza.

But anyways, since she and Percy had so many scenes together, they had to spend a lot of time, discussing different ways they could implement the part, or who should dominate which role, the usual things. This caused Annabeth to notice a lot of things about her co-star.

Percy could change his emotions so fluidly, from one moment of seriously listening to Zeus, to laughing at a joke the crew made, to acting his part like he was made for it. He made it look so easy, and Annabeth was part of this industry way before him.

He also started cracking small jokes in between the parts, and it took everything in Annabeth to not burst out laughing or snorting. Trust her, it was no easy feat.

But her relationship with Percy changed when, one day, after a tiring morning of shooting, they all were given a lunch break. Jason and Percy were ahead of Annabeth and Piper, Percy being in front of Annabeth. The raven-haired man was narrating some silly story about baby-sitting his kid sister, Estelle. It was a simple funny story about Estelle drawing on his face, and him not realizing it until his parents arrived and laughed at him, but for some reason, Annabeth couldn't control her laughter.

Immediately, Jason, Piper and Percy stopped talking, and stared at her. She looked down at her shoes to cover her embarrassment and grabbed her tray, half-full, to her seat. Once she sat down, she looked up, half expecting Piper to ask her what that was about, instead met a pair of sea-green eyes. _Percy._

"Hey Annabeth", he said softly. "You don't have to feel embarrassed about that, I get that I'm funny. I guess we were just shocked to hear you laugh at something I said."

Annabeth hesitated, but then sighed and said, "You are funny, and I don't know what happened there, but I could help but laugh. I'm sorry for running, but I couldn't stand the awkward silence."

Percy smiled kindly at her. "Friends?"

Annabeth knew this was a way to get hurt again, but she could stop herself. "Friends", she agreed with a nod of her head.

She only hoped that this step she took wouldn't cost her like last time. If it did, she wouldn't be able to heal from it.

Heal from the hurt and pain she felt when she was with _him._

**Hey guys, I know this is a really short chapter, but the next one will be twice as big. Hope you are enjoying this story, and don't forget to review so I get the feedback I rightly deserve. Also, I must thank you all for the amazing comments I got so far. It's my first time on Fanfiction, and I gladly appreciate the reviews I get. It's my motivation. **

**Don't hesitate to check out my other stories.**

**Yours, **

**PercabethRox2435**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

Percy was very shocked. He did not expect that laugh from Annabeth. He actually expected her to roll her eyes at him in her haughty fashion.

But that laugh made him wonder whether she had to suppress her inner feelings. Maybe, just maybe, she had to mask her pain and inner feelings to prevent herself from getting hurt? That then made him wonder what she was hiding from. What was she scared of getting hurt from? What prevented her from getting out of that sarcastic and cold shell of hers?

He decided that, whatever it may be, he would help her come out of her shell. Why? He didn't know, but he was determined. That's why, he went up to her and asked her to become his friend.

He blamed it on his past crush on her, that was probably why he felt this innate desire to get to know her. To break her shell and let her see the world in a different light. Kind of like how Paul helped him. Not entirely, the nightmares never ceased despite the change, but it helped him trust and believe people a little more than ever.

Now, after six months of shooting, he had to admit, that making Annabeth his friend helped him tons. For one, she had way more experience than him. Another was the fact that she knew how to manipulate a scene to enhance it.

For example, they were shooting the part where Liza and Ryan were finally falling in love. Ryan had already told Liza about his past, where his parents were shot by a rival gang member of his. Told her the reason for him to get so hooked to drugs, and not bother about his future because of the darkness he saw in the world. He admitting to his foster parents never caring about his life, as long as he didn't disturb theirs. Liza in turn told Ryan about how her parents never cared to ask about her life. How they would flip if she came home with a grade below an A plus. She told him about the pressure she felt and how many times, she felt that ceasing to exist would be better. Ryan had empathized with her, but confessed that, every time they met for practice, he would feel a little better. He would begin to feel safe and see a bit of brightness in the dark world. It told her it because of her.

Now the scene would show the love the two felt towards each other. The sneaky glances and purposeful brushes of one's hand on the other. Annabeth had smartly manipulated the scene, by asking Zeus to show it from the eyes of a third person. Zeus immediately agreed, and took this as a chance to include his son and Piper to the mix. Hence the scene showed both Ella and Harris, and how they realized the change in their best friend's relationship.

No matter what, Percy would always admit to anyone that Annabeth was smart. She knew how to enhance a scene to it's best.

Finally, she helped him remember his lines quickly. He had dyslexia and ADHD, a fact he hid to prevent him from loosing important roles. She scoffed when he admitted it to her. She told him she too had dyslexia and ADHD, so to quit whining.

All in all, his level of acting improved ten-fold.

But there were disadvantages to this friendship too. Now that he wasn't constantly trying to get back at her, his crush on her returned. She had started coming over to his place to practice lines. On one such occasion, she came back with him, but it had unexpectedly started to rain. Since his hotel was really close to the site of shooting, he usually walked, to get his daily dose of exercise, and to get some fresh air too.

As it had started raining unexpectedly, neither had an umbrella. They made a mad dash for it, and as soon as they entered the lobby of the hotel, burst into fits of laughter. Percy let her take a shower first while he waited outside, and offered his clothes to her. She blushingly agreed.

He shouldn't have.

She looked so adorable, wearing his shirt that was at least two sizes too big for her. And in his sweats, she made it really hard for him to control himself. So, he quickly excused himself and went to take a shower himself.

She ended up spending the night in his condo. They sat up till midnight, preparing for the shoot the next day, cups of coffee in their hands, Percy lying on the sofa, while Annabeth sat on the bottom of the couch, with her knees up (Percy would be lying if this scene made his heart skip a beat). At twelve, they decided that staying up longer would be pointless, and decided to call it a night.

Percy told Annabeth to take his bed, and he said he would sleep on the couch, ignoring her requests of taking the couch. He told her that he wouldn't hear of it. Also, that his mom would be utterly disappointed in him if he let her take the couch. She smiled and agreed.

Honestly, he was so glad for his inability to sleep that night, otherwise he wouldn't be able to hear her soft sobs. As soon as he heard it, Percy made a mad dash for his room, and softly pattered inside, only to see Annabeth clutching her blanket, knuckles white and sobbing quietly.

"Annabeth", he whispered, not knowing exactly what to do. He shook her gently, and called her name again.

She awoke suddenly, gripping the blanket to her chest. She seemed to have forgotten where she was a moment. Percy reached out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, heart clenching when she flinched. He then grabbed her trembling hands, and placed them on his heart (which was covered by his shirt, because he wasn't one to sleep shirtless when a girl was over, because he wasn't an idiot).

That seemed to calm her down, and she leaned into his embrace. He noted how small she felt at that moment.

When he felt her calm down a bit, he got up to go back to the couch. He couldn't have been more surprised when Annabeth reached out an arm to stop him. In a small voice, she said, "Please stay."

Percy nodded, and went under the covers. He could feel his thumping heart when she snuggled closer to him. He then turned and pulled her closer to him, until her head rested over his chest, and started stroking her blonde locks.

She sighed, and Percy closed his eyes to the best sleep he had in a long time.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

When Annabeth woke up in the morning, she was greeted by a pair of warm arms around her, and a peaceful face (albeit drooling a little). Percy looked so calm and peaceful in the morning; it gave her a rush of warmth. Since he was in deep sleep, she took the time to observe him. His dark long lashes, the curve of his jaw, the flop of black hair falling over his forehead. He looked beautiful.

After realizing that the way she was looking at him might appear stalkerish, she tried to move out his embrace, but realized it was pointless. He held her gently, yet firmly. There was no escape (not that she wanted to, honestly). So instead, she decided to catch up a little more on sleep.

When she woke up for the second time, Percy was already up. He was in the little kitchenette that the condo provided. He was wearing his robe, and was listening to some songs, no doubt from one of Spotify's playlist, making what appeared to be a batch of pancakes.

(She definitely did not think that he looked adorable like that. She would also not admit that a part of her wanted to see this sight daily)

Percy must've heard her footsteps, because he turned around and wished her good-morning. Annabeth returned the greeting and went sleepily towards him.

"Not a morning person?", Percy questioned with a laugh.

"Not at all", Annabeth yawned back. "Whatcha making?"

"Pancakes", he replied with a proud smile. "The food of the gods!"

Annabeth really felt that Percy's cute face and chirpiness in the morning was too much for her. It was too much too early.

But that smile that was on his face, that stupid grin. It was contagious, and she fought back a smile of her own.

"I hope you make a mean batch of pancakes, Seaweed Brain, cause I'm going to be your harshest critic."

Percy raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh really? The challenge is on Wisegirl!"

_OoooO_

In the end, Percy's pancakes got her seal of approval. After breakfast, Annabeth took a shower at his place, and changed into a set of tracks he owned that was too small for him, and her shirt from the previous night.

She really hoped that there would be no paparazzi outside. If this leaked out, the fact that co-stars of the latest drama spent a night together, it would affect their shooting and the release of the movie.

So, being the responsible person that she is, she called Piper, asking her to cover up for her incase Athena asked, and told Piper that she would indeed share the details of her first night with Percy, even though nothing really happened. Then Percy called his manager, whom he promised Annabeth, was extremely trust-worthy, to help get her out of his condo without alerting any of the press. Grover, it appeared, was very helpful, and even offered to drive Annabeth home, which she gratefully accepted. Her car was still at the shooting site, and it would be a pain to go back there, just for her car. So instead, she got off at her condo, and quietly slipped inside, incase her mother was present.

Luckily, it seemed that her mother was out for some work, leaving Annabeth to get ready for the shooting of the day.

Today would be the practice of the first song that both she and Percy would have to sing. It was for the audition of the singing competition in their school. Liza would want to give it a try, and would feel down, as there was no one willing to do a duet with her. Ryan would then offer to do a duet with her.

The song was 'Mad World' by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews. She felt that that song really matched the theme of the movie. The only difficulty would be the change that Zeus had pointed out. He got his music composer to demonstrate the way the song had to sung. It sounded really nice, but to sing with Percy, someone she's never sung with before, that would be …. interesting at most.

**(A/N: If you've watched Riverdale, it's the same version)**

_OoooO_

The shooting went really well, and surprisingly, she and Percy managed to meet pitch in the first go itself. But Zeus told them to try and practice it a bit more before he finalized it. All in all, a satisfying end to a satisfying day.

That was, until she got a call from an unknown number.

"Hello?", she asked after she picked up.

"Hey Annabeth", a voice responded. A voice she never wanted to hear ever in her life.

"Luke", she said with a tremble in her voice.

"Guess what Annie", Luke's tone was full of glee and malice. She didn't want to hear what he was going to say next, too scared of its outcome.

"I'm coming to California to be a part of this movie with you!"

If Annabeth could pray for anything, or wish for anything, it was for this creep of a man to disappear from her life. She thought she did everything she could to push him out of her life, but it wasn't enough.

'_It's never enough'_, she thought dejectedly.

Now she was scared to see how the remaining of the shoot would unfold.

**Hey Guys,**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter too. I'll be mentioning all the songs in the end of the story. Also, it may seem a little slow right now, but I promise that the story will pick up pace soon. **

**PercabethRox2435**


	7. Bonus Chapter

**Bonus Chapter (Chapter 5 ½)**

After Luke's call, I think the dear readers deserve a look into the past. More specifically, Annabeth's past. To understand Annabeth's grief and pain, it would certainly help for us to see what exactly happened for her to regret her past.

_Sixteen years ago_

_Annabeth was so elated when she got the part she tried for. Sure, part of the reason was because she was Athena's daughter, but despite that, she liked to think that she also got the part for her acting too. This was her first film, and she was only seven!_

_She would be starring in this film alongside 'Luke Castellan', a fourteen-year-old child actor. He had his debut when he was ten, or so her mother had informed her. She couldn't help but feel nervous and excited. So much so, that her mother had to yell at her to sleep the night before the shooting. But could you blame her? This was a chance of a life time. If she did a good job, she would be recognized in the film industry. That was just so amazing!_

_On the day of shooting, she met Luke, who was nice and helped her during the shooting. In between the shooting, they became really good friends. Along with them was the director's daughter, Thalia Grace, a fearless twelve-year-old, and coincidentally Zeus's daughter._

_It wasn't long before the three became inseparable. Even though Thalia wasn't part of the shooting, she was brought along by her dad to observe how shooting takes place, so she could get a feel of it._

_Unfortunately, though, when Thalia was fifteen, she died in a car accident. The trio was reduced to a duo. It was at this time that both Luke and Annabeth sought out comfort in each other. By this time, Annabeth was also dealing with her parent's divorce and the difficulty of getting a role. It had really shaken her, but Luke was always there for her, flying out from New York to California to meet her. _

_They would walk and talk, all their conversations talking about Thalia and the times they spent together. Luke would end each conversation by tucking a stray curl of her hair, looking deep into her eyes, and softly promising that they were family, no one could change that. Each time, Annabeth would fall for it, drinking Luke's blue eyes, and unconsciously falling for him._

_By the time Annabeth was fifteen, she knew without a doubt, that she had fallen for her blonde-haired best friend. By then, her parents were divorced, her father had his second marriage to a make-up artist, who had two children of her own (twins by the names Bobby and Matthew). Her dad's wife was way younger to him, probably only in her late twenties to his late thirties. Yet that didn't seem to faze her dad. During this time as well, Athena had taken to making Annabeth's life a living hell. She pronounced herself as the girl's manager, saying that it would be beneficial to her, considering her own mother's days of fame._

_In all this time, Annabeth sought comfort in Luke, and he returned the feelings. When she turned seventeen, however, Percy won Best Actor's award in the Oscars, and Annabeth didn't. When she was seventeen, her mother hit her for the first time. When she was seventeen, Luke asked her out. _

_In those terrible times, Luke appeared to be her angel in disguise. He promised her family, and Annabeth was in dire need for a companion, someone who would stick by her side no matter what. She needed something permanent in her life and he was the only thing she could see then._

_So, she began to date him. Miraculously, everything seemed to fall in place after that. The year following, she won an Oscar for best actress in a leading role. Her mom fell in love with Luke and encouraged their relationship. Her step-mom seemed nice enough, her brothers wormed their way into her heart. Everything seemed to work out. _

_That was until her eighteenth birthday, when Luke made their relationship public without her consent. That was their first argument, which ended with Luke forcing himself on her. It was disgusting and felt so wrong. _

_But she couldn't tell anyone. No one would believe her if she did. No one would believe that perfect Luke Castellan would rape his best friend and lover Annabeth. So, she kept quiet and hid her true feelings inside. _

_Since their relationship was public, Annabeth couldn't even breakup with him, without alerting the media. All in all, she was trapped. _

_But it was fine, cause Luke apologized to her, saying he was irritated for a long time, and put it out on her. She uncertainly accepted his apology, but didn't fully believe him. _

_Then, when she was twenty-one, Luke asked her to move in with him. She had no reason not to, so she agreed. Then her worst nightmares began. He started using her physically, whenever he was stressed. Many times, he'd fly out for various 'shoots', and the media would report suspicions of him having an affair. When Annabeth asked him about it, he just scoffed and rolled his eyes, but Annabeth noted how he never actually responded. _

_Finally, when it seemed like she was only there for Luke's benefit, and all feeling she had for him disappeared, she confessed everything to her mom. But due to their rocky relationship, her mom waved away her concerns by telling her that it was probably Luke being stressed about his job or something. She then yelled at Annabeth that no one is happy in love, and that you just have to make do with what you have. _

_Secretly, Annabeth believed her mom's true ideals about love were wiped away by her divorce, but she didn't say anything. _

_Finally, just before her twenty-second birthday, Annabeth had enough with Luke. She caught him having an affair with another actress (Kelly, she thinks her name is). She yelled at him, called him names, but it didn't faze Luke. He simply smirked and asked her what she was going to do about it. _

_That was when Annabeth realized how stupid she had been. Throughout her time with this jackass, she never actually realized how deep she was being trapped. She couldn't take her family's help, because it would be bad publicity for them, she couldn't place a complain in the police office, cause he had created a good image of himself, and no one would believe her. She couldn't publicly announce her break-up, because Luke would deny the entire thing. _

_She was in deep shit. _

_But thankfully, another angel came in disguise. She was shooting for another film, when she was introduced to another actress. This woman had choppy brown hair, and warm eyes, that seemed to change under the light. Piper McLean, would soon turn out to be Annabeth's savior._

_Over the due course of their film, the two became closer to each other, until Piper asked the question that had been nagging her for quite some time. _

"_Why are you still with Luke. He clearly makes you upset, and I don't like the vibes I get from him."_

_That was all Annabeth needed. Her wall broke, and the flood of worry, anxiety and stress was released. She explained everything to Piper, who hugged her at the end and promised to help her out of this monstrous relationship._

_Thanks to Piper, Annabeth regained her weight and was able to confide in the Cherokee. Piper taught her how to stand up for herself, and not take anyone's shit. She told Annabeth that she had more to lose, and that she shouldn't take her position in the film industry, this lightly. So, Annabeth began standing up for herself against Luke. She became bolder and fought back._

_Eventually, Luke realized that he could no longer control Annabeth, and broke off their relationship, after which, he disappeared. Annabeth couldn't stop worrying about his return. _

_It took her a year of therapy, for her to get back on her feet, but it was worth it. Well, until now._

_Luke had returned, and Annabeth could help but worry about the outcome. _

_She'd just have to wait and see how it went._


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

**Hey Guys,**

**I'm so sorry that I haven't written another chapter. I got a massive case of writer's block, and was busy with classes and such. But now I promise to try my best and write the remaining chapters as soon as possible.**

**Also, thank you so much for the reviews. I know it's not a lot, but each and every comment makes me feel happy, especially since the one's I've received so far are positive. **

**Please read and enjoy this chapter.**

**Yours,**

**PercabethRox2435**

_OoooO_

Percy really liked Annabeth. Screw that, he loved her.

Could you really blame him?

His beautiful blonde-haired co-star entranced him, with her luscious thick hair, and dazzling grey eyes that sang so many different stories, and delicate soft hands that-

Yup, he was in love.

After her stay-over at his place, Percy began dreaming about Annabeth. Even though his dreams rarely strayed over PG-13, he began thinking of her constantly. Irrespective of the fact that he ended up spending an extra half-hour in the shower, stuck in Annabeth-land. It drove his manager Grover insane. He also expected them to have an easy-going relationship at work, now that their barriers had been broken.

So, you can imagine his surprise when he went over to Annabeth, wanting to greet her before the shoot, and she ignored him. Yes, that's right. She freaking ignored him.

He was so shocked, that he remained dazed for a few minutes. They had such a great time in the shoot the previous day, and she had trusted him to sleep beside her, so why was she ignoring him?

Jason, bless the guy, saw the entire thing, and went over to talk things out with Piper McLean (neither would admit it, but those two were becoming closer day by day). When he returned, he shrugged. "Piper doesn't know herself. Apparently, Annabeth refuses to admit that something's wrong."

This took Percy by shock once more. What could have happened that Annabeth refused to talk to her best-friend about it?

At that very moment, Zeus walked in with a blonde man beside him. After settling down, he asked for everyone's attention.

"Guys, this is Luke Castellan. He's going to be the wild-card entry to this film."

After Zeus said that, he starting talking to the producer about something, and Luke smiled a brilliant bright smile at everyone. "Hey guys, I'm Luke. I hope I can make your acquaintance, and that we can make this the block-buster of the century!" With that, he smirked at Annabeth, who shuddered, and walked down the stage.

His smirk to Annabeth confirmed Percy's sinking suspicion that Luke was the reason behind Annabeth's change in behavior. Also, weren't the two dating? Percy vaguely remembered reading the news a couple of years back, to see that his most hated rival had a breakup with her best-friend, who then went AWOL. He remembered feeling smug about it, yet a little concerned.

Something happened between those two, and Percy was sure as hell to find out. After all, he loved Annabeth, and no-one deserved to remain unhappy in this world. Especially not his blonde co-star, who stole his heart.

**I apologize for this short chapter, but the next will be even more interesting. I swear on the River Styx **


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

Annabeth hated Luke. She hated the stupid scar that ran down his face from when he tried to save Thalia and her from an unruly cat when they were younger. She hated his sky-blue eyes that once made her fall for him. But most importantly, she hated the fact that he found her, and returned to turn her life to hell once more.

She hated that she felt weak against him. She hated feeling weak towards anyone to be honest. She liked the power that came from her position, as no one could hurt her. She was slowly accepting her life, making more friends and learning to trust, when it all broke with this person's arrival.

After Zeus introduced him to the staff, Luke made a bee-line for her.

"So, Annie", Luke began, "Miss me?"

Annabeth wanted to retch when she smelled his all too familiar cologne. "You? I'd rather barf."

Luke's easy-going facade changed in an instant, and he had that threatening look on his face, until it became the lazy arrogant expression he always wore. "Be careful Annie. We don't want another _accident _do we?"

Annabeth glared at him. She opened her mouth to retort something back, when she saw Percy stand in front of her. "Excuse me Luke, but I need to borrow Annabeth to revise our lines."

Without another word, Percy grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. Once they were a safe distance away, Percy dropped her wrist and scratch his neck, a sign that he was nervous.

"I hope you don't mind", he started, "I know you can handle arrogant jerks like him, but you seemed a little pale. Plus, I really do want to practice lines with you, honest."

Annabeth couldn't help it, and started laughing. She loved that Percy was both concerned and nervous about her. "Were you really that worried that I'd tell you off for this?"

Percy looked at her as though she was crazy, "Are you kidding? You seem so strong, that if our lives were a fairytale, you'd be the Prince Charming saving my Princess ass!"

That was all Annabeth needed to realize that she actually and truly loved Perseus Jackson. She loved his humor, quick-wit and humble nature. He was her permanent. So, when he asked her, albeit a little hesitantly, about her situation with Luke, she dragged him to the roof of the school where they were shooting, and told him everything. She told him her true feelings regarding her situation, her mom and most importantly Luke.

She knew that she was making a huge gamble here, but she trusted Percy. After all, he was the cute guy who offered to sleep on the couch when they crashed at his place. The one who made no moves on her when they slept together and held her when she cried like a baby. He was the one who cracked jokes with her on set and boasted about his culinary skills.

He was the Ryan to her Liza. No question in her mind.

Once she bared her soul to him, she realized that she was trembling, but she felt this satisfaction that she hadn't felt in so long. Was this what it meant to share her problems with others? Sure, she told Piper, but that didn't feel as good as telling Percy. Maybe it was because Percy connected with her on a whole new level. Whatever it may be, she had to admit that being under Percy's embrace (he hugged her after she narrated the incident) was way better than Piper's.

"Oh, my gods Annabeth! I'm so sorry. I hate what that son of a bitch did to you. But more importantly, I hate that you had to go through all of that. I knew I heard something about this in the papers, but that was around the same time my dad died, and I was facing some of my own demons. So, I didn't really pay much close attention to it. I wish I met you then."

"No", Annabeth began, "I'm glad I didn't meet you then. If I did, then I wouldn't have trusted you completely and I would've been rude and snarky. Plus, if I did, we wouldn't have had made this amazing bond we've made during this shooting. I'm truly glad we became friends Percy. But there's something that's been on my mind that I want to say. I- "

"I love you Annabeth. Truly and forever. Will you go out with me?"

Annabeth froze. This wonderful and amazing person liked her? Even after hearing about her pathetic past? "Are you sure? I mean I know I was going to ask you out myself but- "

Warm lips and the faint lingering smell of the ocean. That's all Annabeth could think of at that moment. The sea and Percy Jackson. Her two most favourite things in her world now. As she responded to Percy's kiss, she wrapped her arms tightly around his frame, and prayed to anyone who'd listen, to not ruin this for her. For the first time since Luke, she wanted to trust and believe this raven haired actor so much. If she thought she liked Luke, she probably loves Percy.

He made her feel save and warm. Like sunbathing on a beach with the sun falling gently on her skin, and the waves lapping around her feet. In other words, perfect.

"Do you still not believe me?"

"Shut up and kiss me Jackson."

Perfectly perfect.


	10. Bonus Chapter (Part 2)

**Bonus Chapter (Part 2)**

You can definitely hate Luke. Even if you don't, he hates himself. I mean, after using your childhood friend for petty revenge, seems pathetic, right?

What revenge you ask?

When Luke was ten, his mother had a bad case of Schizophrenia, where we used to believe she was a prophet, and used to whisper crazy prophecies in his ear at midnight. She used to always imagine that Luke was his five-year-old self and baked cookies and pack juice boxes for him till he turned sixteen. Or at least he hopes she stopped. He hasn't visited her, not after Thalia died.

Since his dad was mostly over-seas, busy with his company, Luke was left to deal with his crazy mother. Even after he called him, his dad refused to leave his job. He yelled at Luke instead, telling him that he could at least show that he was a good son by taking care of his mother.

It's not a huge surprise that Luke ran away from home he was eleven. He took for the road, buying different clothes with the credit card his dad left him. No one really bothered to check it, so Luke took that and packed his clothes and hit the road. He started running, out of the locality and into an alley, where he met Thalia for the first time.

Thalia was …. unique. When Luke stumbled upon her, her hair was tangled up, and her shirt was slightly ripped in multiple places. She had scratches and dirt covering her face and arms. Yet she totally looked cool to Luke. In her black skinny jeans and green-day band tee, she looked so dominating and god-like, that if he wasn't holding on the wall, Luke would've probably fallen.

"What do you want?", was her first sentence to him.

"Umm, I'm running away from home. You?"

She turned her head away from him and started running. So, Luke began to chase after her. Naturally.

"Where are you going? What's your name? Why are you out and how did you get injured?"

Without a word his direction, the spiky black-haired kid continued to run till they arrived at a park. Once they reached the nearby bench, Thalia collapsed on it. Luke wasn't too far behind. After catching his breath, he asked to at least mention her name.

"Thalia. No last name. If you ask, I'm going to punch you. I'm also running away from home, and I got these injuries from trying to pet a stray cat, and accidently tumbled into pile of burnt wood."

Luke raised his eyebrow. "I never imagined someone could do that, but somehow it doesn't seem unnatural for it to be happening to you."

"Well, I'm no ordinary girl."

"Never crossed my mind. I'm Luke by the way, just Luke. Even I hate to be pegged down by unnecessary last-names."

"Nice to meet you Luke."

That was probably the first and last time Luke actually trusted someone and thought of them as his equal. The first and last time.

_OoooO_

After that incident, they hung out in the park, till someone came to collect Thalia. He came to know that she was indeed the Thalia Grace who had been through her parent's bad divorce, and was left in her alcoholic and drug-addict mother's care when her father refused to take her up. But only after hearing the man who came to pick her up, call her by her full name.

(It was also when he realized the full power behind names for celebrities).

Once the eight-year old girl, who he had come to enjoy the presence of, vanished out of sight, he trudged back. His mind kept replaying this one conversation they had.

"_So, why'd you run away?", Thalia didn't hesitate to ask. _

"_My mom is diagnosed with Schizophrenia. She keeps repeating weird prophecies to me in the middle of the night. It's creepy. Plus, my dad refuses to be bothered by it. We have a helper, but she refuses to get too involved with our family. Makes sense", Luke laughed, "Avoid other's problems to reduce your own problems. I'd probably be like that lady."_

"_Don't Luke", Thalia's voice sounded alarmed. "Don't be like this. I ran away because my mom was getting on my nerves. She gets drunk or high and keeps repeating my brother's name. Keeps reminding me of how I lost him, of her divorce, how I'm not worth taking care of. But I made a promise to my brother to not give up on hope or faith. I'm not going to. I just ran away for just a day to get some space. Someone will come and get me eventually, but I'm still glad I made this attempt."_

_At that moment, Luke couldn't think of anything except for his gratitude to this ten-year old kid. She was his light in his darkness, and he wanted to be the same for her. _

"_Let's promise Thalia. I won't give up on my family, and try my best to make my life worth living. You promise not to give up on your brother or mom. Next time we meet, life will be ten times better. Let's be each other's family."_

_Thalia visibly brightened. "I promise", she smiled._

Somehow, Luke felt that he would've made that promise to her irrespective of their situation. She made him want to be better, which was rare for someone like him.

Once he returned, his mom continued to act the same, loading him with juice boxes and burnt cookies. But despite the bitter taste of dough, he still felt optimistic about his life. A few months later, his dad returned. He introduced Luke to the world of marketing, and tried to get Luke into advertisements for their products. It wasn't long before he got his first offer for a role.

He accepted.

_OoooO_

A few years after that, Luke was getting comfortable with his life as a budding actor, when he got a role to star in a film with an actress making her debut. Annabeth Minerva Chase, age seven, daughter of Athena Minerva Chase was someone everyone had high hopes from. She came to the set, properly dressed and greeted everyone sweetly. Her sickly honey sweetness made everyone fall in love with her. Everyone, including Thalia Grace, who came to observe the film.

Thalia would not stop gushing about how adorable Annabeth was. She was killing him! Luke absolutely hated his co-star. She appeared so superficial to him, it made him want to retch rainbows and candy-canes.

But because he didn't want to ruin his friendship with Thalia, he asked the blonde to spend time with them. Slowly but steadily, Annabeth grew on him too. She opened up about her family issues, and her irritation towards her mother as well, and eventually the three of them became somewhat of a parental-issue trio.

To be honest, Luke never saw her as anything but a sister, but Thalia refused to get any closer to him. She would always stick around Annabeth like glue. So, Luke endured Annabeth a bit more.

When he was sixteen, Thalia had just turned fifteen. By then, Luke was sure of his romantic feelings towards the black-haired teen. He wanted to confess to her, but Thalia had always ignored him, and refused to get any closer to Luke, calling him a 'brother' or a 'friend'. So, Luke was pushed to the edge.

In didn't help matters that his mother was admitted to a mental asylum, and his dad blamed it all on him. He cracked, and called Thalia under the fake pretense of meeting Annabeth and him. Once she arrived, Luke confessed and asked her to date him. However, Thalia refused. So, without thinking, Luke tried to make advances on her, and roughly held her. Thalia attacked back and ran away; however, she took a wrong cab (the driver was clearly drunk), and met with an accident that took her life with it.

Luke always blames himself for it. If only he thought things through. If he listened or stopped her from entering the cab. But she didn't trust him, and if she didn't trust him, how could he trust himself.

With Thalia gone, their promise broke and Luke succumbed to the darkness within himself. He also came to know that she had finally reunited with her brother and started staying with her dad.

But then he wondered what his stupid actions bought. He hated himself for the answer.

_OoooO_

After that, irrespective of what anyone said or did, Luke never saw anyone differently. In his eyes, there was a huge cross in front of everyone's face. He started blaming Annabeth for Thalia's death, just to ease his guilt a little. If only she didn't steal Thalia from him, maybe things would've been different today.

So, he decided to make her pay. He pretended to be close to her, just so she would let her guard down in front of him. That was the easiest, because he knew Annabeth had a crush on him. With this information in mind, he convinced Annabeth that she only had him, and soon she fell for him bad. They began dating, and since Luke was wealthy and influential, Annabeth's mother supported their relationship. Soon, people started speculating about their relationship (like how they should marry, etc.), and that's when Luke decided to attack. He knew Annabeth couldn't tell people about how her best-friend and super-sweet lover hurt her. Plus, her mother loved him, which was an added bonus.

He used her physically, all the while thinking of Thalia. He hurt her, thinking about he was punishing her about what she did to Thalia. But he didn't understand.

Why didn't he feel better afterwards? He got his revenge, but why was his heart not satisfied?

_OoooO_

After a few more years of dating, both of them were reaching their limits. Luke couldn't care less if Annabeth was alive or dead. He was consumed with guilt and pain. He developed a split personality disorder, where he could feel his two different natures whisper to him.

Annabeth in turn sought out comfort from her best-friend Piper. When he thought nothing could affect him, Annabeth used her stupid smart-ass and started retaliating in a manner that made her seem like the victim. People obviously supported her. That was when Luke ran away. His situation drastically worsened, and his one personality made him hate himself so much that he had unbearable days where he felt low and depressed.

He went back to old house (but not home-you aren't afraid of your home). He would just sit around somedays, other days he would roam around aimlessly. His dad stopped interacting with him once he was legally an adult, and Luke couldn't give two shits about it. He was lonely, and along with his split personality disorder, he started seeing Thalia at times.

He was seriously screwed.

However, that was when he met another beautiful soul like Thalia. Reyna was his second savior. She was a doctor specializing in Psychology. She met him in a bar near his house, and immediately found out about his condition. She said, and I quote- "How long do you want to be in pain. Side with the one who gives you most pain. That way you'll get your punishment and your suffering will stop."

After receiving small treatments from her, he found out that Reyna was the reason why Thalia couldn't love Luke. She was Thalia's classmate, and they began dating when she was fifteen. However, where Luke had to suffer through so much, Reyna didn't hold any grudge towards anyone as such. She was just grateful to have met a lively soul like Thalia when she was in the dumps.

That was the point where Luke couldn't live with himself. He felt betrayed by Reyna for stealing Thalia from him, betrayed that Thalia didn't tell him. He just wanted to feel powerful like he did when he was with Annabeth. To see her whimper and cry in front of him gave him a mental satisfaction, if nothing and he'd take that over his constant suffering. It is said after all, that 'something is better than nothing'.

So, he contacted Zeus, asked for a role. Due to his influential position, and wealth, Zeus couldn't turn him down.

That's him so far. A man suffering and seeking out a place to receive some peace.

In his mind, and his mind only, a last chance at reprieve.

**So, I know this story turned dark real fast, but I truly feel that this turn explains Luke mentality perfectly (in this story). After all, every Villain turns bad due to a particular situation. What better situation here than a rejected and broken heart.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. This story will probably end after another five to six more chapters. If you liked this story, please check out my other works.**

**Thanks,**

**PercabethRox2435 **


	11. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

After Annabeth bared her soul, Percy felt this strong urge to protect her, with every ounce of his being. He didn't want to see this strong, sharp opinionated woman be hurt any more. He meant everything he said to her once he heard her past. He loved her more than anyone he knew.

So, once she agreed to go out with him, Percy's entire being felt like it was floating on cloud nine. He was elated and blissfully happy, that he'd have the right to protect her, and stay by her side, like he had wanted. But he also would respect her strength. She was plenty strong already, which was something Percy admired. Even though she had to face that entire ordeal by herself, she still kept pushing through, striving to be better in all aspects. She faced the industry that placed her in this position, faced her mother who refused to see her point of view, and most importantly, had the guts to love again.

(If it was Percy, he'd probably hide in a corner)

After confessing, the two went back to Percy's condo, and spent time together watching some sappy Disney movies (which definitely included Finding Nemo, otherwise Percy wouldn't be there in the first place). They shared a bowl of popcorn, that ultimately ended up everywhere due to their unexpected food-fight (since it was caramel, it stuck to their hair), took pictures of their messy state (both of them saved it to their cloud as their first picture as a couple), and basically had a blast. Percy had suggested this, to cheer his _girlfriend _(yes, he could say that now) up. But it turned out to be so much fun, that neither remembered how sad or agitated they were feeling.

Once they finished watching Tangled, Annabeth snuggled up close to him. "I'm glad it was you Percy. The one I ended up falling for, I'm grateful it was you."

Percy pulled her closer, "Same here Annabeth. I'm glad it was you too."

He was just about to ask her if she wanted to spend the night over, when her phone rang. They looked over, and saw that it was her mother calling. Annabeth looked up unhappily, signaling that she'd take the call. Percy waved, showing that he didn't mind.

It took around ten minutes, but given the shouts, and bursts of exclamations in their conversation, Percy figured it was nothing too good. As Annabeth sat down, Percy looked at her questioningly. The blonde sighed, and said, "My mother wants me to head back. Apparently, someone told her about you and me, and she's pissed. It also doesn't help that are parents were not on good terms previously."

Percy held her hands, "Do you want me to come along, maybe I could explain it her as well?"

Annabeth shook her head. "You coming will only add fuel to the fire. Don't worry though", she added after seeing his worried look, "I'll definitely see you tomorrow for our shoot together. Also, I'll call you once I reach home."

Percy knew that pushing her then wouldn't help, that this was something she needed to do by herself. So, he nodded.

After gathering her stuff, Percy walked her to the door. Annabeth stood in front of Percy, and pressed her lips on his. "Thank you for such a marvelous night Jackson. To think we were enemies before. What a turn of events."

"I liked you before though. But, after we acted together in the first movie, you seemed so snobby, I didn't really like you. But I guess that was you trying to guard yourself. I'm glad we ended up the way we did."

Annabeth smiled, and that in turn made Percy smile. She hugged him one last time, promising to call him, and meet the next day.

Once she disappeared from view, Percy sighed and made his way inside. He sat down and decided to make a phone call.

After one ring, the person on the other line picked up.

"Hello"

"Thalia, you were absolutely right about Luke."

"I knew it. That shitty bastard needs to go to jail. After all he did. Thanks for going through with this for me Jackson."

"After all you helped me with once my dad passed away, this is nothing. I'll surely get Annabeth to be willing enough to justify in front of the court. But tell me, what after that?"

Even though he couldn't see it, Percy could tell she was smiling. "You leave the rest to me."

**So, the unexpected turn of events. Thalia is alive? How, what, when? Don't worry, the next few chapters shall explain it all. **

**I hope you guys are enjoying it. I will definitely finish this story, even I'm enjoying writing it.**

**If you liked this story, please check out some of my other works. **

**PercabethRox2435**


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

Annabeth knew something was up with Percy. For the past week, he looked like he had something he wanted to reveal, but was afraid to do so.

The shooting, thankfully, was nearing its end. They had shot all the major scenes of the film, now all that was left was the promo for the film and singing the remaining songs for the musical.

Shooting became harder, since it was hard to hide the fact that they were dating. Every touch, every laugh had to be modulated to prevent them from becoming the front page of the news. But Annabeth thanked her lucky stars that Percy had actually agreed to hide the fact that they were dating. He said that he understood where she came from, and wouldn't push her till she was comfortable. When he said such things, Annabeth felt that she truly didn't deserve him. Which person would find a guy who was this sweet and easy going as him?

However, once they went back to his place under the pretense of practicing lines, they let loose. They would either snuggle up and watch a sappy rom-com, while laughing at certain overly mushy scenes, or ensue in a make-out session that would lead to a round of sex, leaving them drained out. What Annabeth loved about Percy, and what she definitely never saw in Luke, was that he never forced her into anything. He seemed as content with snuggling as he was in having sex.

It had been four months since they began dating, and surprisingly Luke hadn't spoken to her since. She was curious, but relieve over powered her curiosity, and she didn't think much of it.

However, Percy's strange behavior was troubling her. Each time she would mention Thalia, or speak about how relieved she was that Luke wasn't troubling her, or generally ask him about his day, he'd look guilty. He also started zoning out a lot, which annoyed her to no end. So, after dealing with it for a week, she decided it was high time to ask him about it.

Hence, after their shoot was done for the day, Annabeth told Percy to come over to her place for dinner. Now, Annabeth rarely called Percy over, because there was a great possibility that her mother might be over, and make a rude comment or remark over her friendship (cough, relationship, cough) with Percy. To avoid those unnecessary complications, she only invited him over when her mother was out.

However, today she was more concerned about Percy than she was scared of their relationship coming out in the spotlight, and invited him over. Percy, being the sweet guy he was, asked her if it was really alright. She shrugged and said, "I can deal with my mother. She is supposed to be out, but she said she was unsure. If she's home, we might as well break the news to her." Also, it wasn't like their relationship was a total secret. In one accidental make-out session near the stables, where they were previously shooting, Piper came across them. So, Piper and Jason knew about them too (even though they swore to keep quiet about it).

Once they entered her home (a small studio apartment she rented during the shoot), Annabeth made her way to the kitchen to pour them a glass of wine, and took out her nacho's platter (she was nothing if not meticulous and well prepared). Percy was already seated on her sofa by then, scrolling through his phone. When she sat down, he jumped a little and hid his phone.

She sighed. It wasn't going to be easy to get him to reveal whatever was bugging him. But she was seriously concerned, so she faced him.

"Percy", she began, "What's going on with you? You're worrying me. Each time we talk about something, you zone out. If I mention my past, you look guilty. Not to mention you've started jumping whenever I appear. Do you have something that's bothering you? You know that you can talk to me about anything."

Percy looked immensely guilty when she finished. Then, he looked down and mumbled, "I don't want to hurt you."

Annabeth froze. She began thinking of all the worse possible situations possible. The major one was so bad, it made her shiver when she thought of it, but it seemed it was what she had been fearing ever since they began dating.

It made her laugh nervously, and she rose, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. She wrapped her arms around herself, a protective measure she developed over time. "If you don't like me", she forced out, even though she felt her voice couldn't come out, "then please leave. I couldn't bear to hear you say it. I must've done something wrong to make you feel this way, but believe me it wasn't my intention. I'm just grateful to have got a chance to date someone as kind hearted as you Percy. I really do love you." Then the damn dam broke and she broke down in tears.

Percy, bless his kind heart, was with her in a second, wrapping his strong arms around her lithe frame. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck, using his scent to calm down, as she had done many times before. Percy held her closer, and kissed the top of her hair.

"Annabeth", he began to say fondly, "I would never leave you. I love you so much, that even the thought of leaving you never crossed my mind. When I said that I didn't want to hurt you, I meant that I didn't want you to leave me. I'll tell you what's on my mind, but before that I need you to promise you won't flip, and think of it with an open mind."

Annabeth looked up at Percy, gazed into his sea-green eyes, and nodded. Percy carried her princess style to the couch, and placed her there, before sitting besides her.

He wrung his hands together, before saying the words she never thought she'd ever hear.

"Thalia is alive."

**Ooh, another cliffhanger…. don't worry. The final two chapters are coming out soon. Please continue reading, and check out my other works in the meantime.**


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